"Wyatt is under the care of physicians for a medical problem, and at this time he will remain under their care," Sexton said in a statement he released to the media Thursday. "His doctors have informed us that drug abuse is not the problem."

Sexton was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital on Monday evening by Tallahassee police after they discovered him lying face down in a busy intersection and acting in a bizarre manner. Among other things he identified himself as "God" and "Son of God" to police. According to the incident report by police, Sexton appeared to be under the influence of a drug or alcohol.

Florida State assistant athletic director Rob Wilson confirmed that Sexton, expected to be the starter for the Sept. 5 opener against Miami, had been suspended indefinitely by coach Bobby Bowden on June 3 for a "violation of team rules."

Atlantic Coast Conference medical consultant Bryan Smith said schools often use the "violation of team rules" phrase to legally protect a players privacy following a suspension for a failed drug test.

Several media outlets, including ESPN and The Palm Beach Post, have reported -- citing unnamed sources -- that Sexton was suspended for failing to show up for a mandatory drug test.

The suspension came as a surprise to Sexton's teammates, several of whom had confronted him when he didn't show up to participate in voluntary workouts.

"As a team, we didn't know anything about that [suspension]," center David Castillo said. "We just knew that we were out there working hard and Wyatt wasn't out there."

According the NCAA and school policy, a failure to show up for a drug test is the equivalent of a positive test.

If, in fact, Sexton's suspension was for a failed drug test, it could have been his second based on the university's policy for student athletes. A first positive test result results in a player facing monthly drug testing for the remainder of his playing career, in addition to six drug counseling sessions. A second positive comes with an indefinite suspension and additional counseling. A third positive constitutes removal from the athletic program.

Bowden is out of town on vacation and has been unavailable for comment.

While Monday's episode was dramatic in nature, it wasn't the first time Sexton's behavior has been called into question. At spring practice, he bolted from a pack of on-lookers and tried to tackle linebacker Sam McGrew, who had picked off a pass of one of his teammates. Sexton once failed to show up for a football banquet in favor of attending a University of Florida basketball game, and showed up in Gainesville this past season sporting a Gators' sweatshirt while taking in a football game.

A search with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement failed to reveal any past or pending legal problems for Sexton. Tallahassee police spokesman John Newland confirmed Thursday that his department was not pursuing any charges following Monday's incident, though he said the responding officers could have charged Sexton with resisting arrest and/or disorderly conduct.

"Would that have gotten him the help he needed?" Newland said. "No. Putting him in the system wouldn't have helped him."

Billy Sexton, who has shied away from discussing his son with the media -- even during his run as a starter last season -- has turned his attention to his son's recovery.

"At this point, our focus as a family is to ensure that our son, whom we love and support, gets the care that he needs until he makes a full and complete recovery," he said.